When I was growing up, school days were little more than tests of endurance. The days seemed endless and the homework impossible to complete. Like many of my classmates, I was the child of immigrant parents who had received only an elementary education. What was it like, I wondered, to have someone who could help with homework and understood the social dynamics of school? But, like my hard-working parents, I also felt certain that I had a mission in life, and that one day I would achieve something memorable. At the time I was not certain of what it would be, or how it would happen, but I was certain that I was meant to do something to change my community for the better.
As I matured, I could see that my parents’ lack of education was a barrier …show more content…
While analyzing several research studies, I learned SEL is significantly important in child development and is described as a predictor of future well-being and academic success. Evidence suggests that schools which implement SEL programs show significant improvement in student attitudes, behavior, and academic performance. Working directly with the under-resourced preschool students at Jumpstart allowed me to observe the value of social and emotional learning (SEL) in early education in a clinical setting at a practical …show more content…
I used observational methods to assess their SEL abilities within the classroom. Some of the children were often distracted, uncooperative, presented with emotional breakdowns. Once I realizing that I was working directly with children who had never been taught SEL skills and that this was impeding both their academic and social progress. I implemented positive SEL strategies such as, defining social and emotional skills for children’s understanding, demonstrating positive behavior through story characters, and immediately recognizing and attending to emotional breakdowns. Utilizing both my professional and academic knowledge and skills I felt that I was able to identify student risk factors and create classroom and individual strategies to help students overcome them. In my future professional life, I want to learn more about the evidence-based practices and lead school staff in utilizing empirical evidence to diminish these risk factors and help promote academic success for
As I matured, I could see that my parents’ lack of education was a barrier …show more content…
While analyzing several research studies, I learned SEL is significantly important in child development and is described as a predictor of future well-being and academic success. Evidence suggests that schools which implement SEL programs show significant improvement in student attitudes, behavior, and academic performance. Working directly with the under-resourced preschool students at Jumpstart allowed me to observe the value of social and emotional learning (SEL) in early education in a clinical setting at a practical …show more content…
I used observational methods to assess their SEL abilities within the classroom. Some of the children were often distracted, uncooperative, presented with emotional breakdowns. Once I realizing that I was working directly with children who had never been taught SEL skills and that this was impeding both their academic and social progress. I implemented positive SEL strategies such as, defining social and emotional skills for children’s understanding, demonstrating positive behavior through story characters, and immediately recognizing and attending to emotional breakdowns. Utilizing both my professional and academic knowledge and skills I felt that I was able to identify student risk factors and create classroom and individual strategies to help students overcome them. In my future professional life, I want to learn more about the evidence-based practices and lead school staff in utilizing empirical evidence to diminish these risk factors and help promote academic success for